Browse listings of B&B, Home Exchange, Vacation Rentals (furnished apartments, villas, cottages, condos, farmhouses and other types of accommodations) of Jordan:
Last Minute Tips Before you Travel to Jordan
- Time Zone: GMT/UTC +2
- Electricity: 230V, 50 Hz (bring an adapter/transformer for your hair drier, laptop, cellullar phone etc.)
- Currency: Jordanian Dinar (JD)
- Country Dialing Code: 962
Must See - Properties on UNESCO World Heritage List by
- Petra
- Quseir Amra
- Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)
Jordan
Location
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia
Capital
Amman
Population
5,759,732 (July 2005 est.)
Regions
12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba
Climate
mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Ethnic groups
Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Religions
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)
Languages
Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes
Government type
constitutional monarchy
Background
For most of its history since independence from British administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic ruler, he successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, despite several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he reinstituted parliamentary elections and gradual political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, the son of King HUSSEIN, assumed the throne following his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his power and undertaken an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. After a two-year delay, parliamentary and municipal elections took place in the summer of 2003. The prime minister appointed in December 2005 said the government would focus on political reforms, improving conditions for the poor, and fighting corruption.
Visitor's Impressions
If you would like to share your experiences of traveling to Jordan or to other countries, please send us your article and we will gladly post it at this site.
